Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-11-24
THANKSGIVING STORY.

Joel Comfort drove slowly homeward over
the rough, frozen road; q chilly wind swept
through the leafless wood bordering part of
his way, and whirled the dry and rustliag
leaves in little heaps and eddies. But the
cid man gave but little heed to the weather
or the dark, low clouds; his head was
bowed down with the weary droop of one
disheartened and discouraged, while his
gray hair and furrowed face showed that it
was too late to retrieve failures and d:sap-
poiIltment, Slowly the old horse logged
over the road, until a. last they came in
sight of pleasant old farsn-h house. 5oel
Com Fort lifted his head an6 tried to assume
more cheerful air. for he knew that from
the window pair of soft gray eyes would
mis- home coming. Aad as he drove past
the hopse side door opened, and pleas
ant faced middle-eged woman said ::
" Hurry up. father. | knew yo, would be
cola, ana supper is all waiting" Then she
went back into the house, and Grew a sigh
as she smoothed corner of the table-cloth
the Siud had blown awry. joel Comforts
assumed smile had not deceived his wife /;
she Rad studied his face too many years
not to understand It's every change.
Presently the old man came in, shade
older and more feeble, il seemed to her, he
| looked than when he left home in the
morning. and as she helped him oil with
his overcoat, she said: Pm sorry, Joel
YOU had such long. cold ride for nothing"
4 With faint culver of the lips he answered ::
| Yes, Lorinda, it was for nothin'; that was
all mistake we heard. Squire Tell says
| the bank won't ever pay depositors moren'
| ten per cent. and maybe not that fur years"
| And did you see Mr.. Doane ?''-" Yes,
Lorinda, and he says that unless [ can
make the next payment in the spring he
shall foreclose the mortgage. Mrs. Com
fort stifled a sigh What a nice warm
overcoat this is" she said as she hung it
I up. John sent it to you five years ago
J Christmas, and it is almost as good as ever.
Our greatest blessing is left, Joel, such a
| good, thoughtful son, and as he will be
| here TO morrow something may be done
| before spring." her face Frightening with
| her words.
But the old man shook his head. IF
John was coming home with means to help
it would be different, but you know he
wrote that he had been unfortunate and
sick, and now he will have a family of his
OWu u support NJ, LOIluud, De1leVe L
feel it for John even more than for myself
When he was nothing but baby it used
to please me to think that l was working
for him An l would say to myself when
would look. over the farm and think how
well | was doing, John will have some
thing to remember his father by when he
| is dead and gone An now" with a
culver in his tone, everything pears to be
| slipping away from me. Someway it don't
come natural to me TO think of dependin
on son, an i don't want to be burden to
John when its likely, too, that he's going
to have all he can carry."-Mrs. Comfort
paused in the pouring of the very weak tea,
and not much like the rich amber she had
been wont 10 make.
Father, aren't you glad Johns comm
home, even if he is poor man? Then why
should you doubt that John will be glad to
come home, even if we are poorer than he
| thinks? Pll own l wish we could do more
for him, but if he gets his health again he
can get along. John never was lazy, if
do say it, an there's things in the house to
make us all comfortable, an feather beds l
amt used in years, if Johns wife is only a
prudent, sensible woman, an won't mind
plain ways an old fashions. An if worst
| comes to worst, Joel, we'll have the thirty
acres an the little house we started with
left. The Lord has never forsaken us in
all these years, an guess we can trust him
a spell longer"
| Il guess you're about right, mother"
| I've been making fried cakes this after
noon," she continued, as if to give the con-
versation a more cheerful turn, with a
| lump of jelly in the center of each-you
| know John always liked them that way
an pumpkin pies in grandmother's square
tins as used to when he was boy. Dear
4 L
| twelve years since he went awav | never
dreamed, then, that it would be so long be-
fore should see him. What slim young
fellow he was but to be sure he was only
| twenty-one. | can see him just as he
| looked the morning he started. | 'spose be
has grown old some, but l should know
him anywhere, l know" Yes and what
| a hale, hearty man / was then, an should
be now, if ! hadn't hurt my hips falling in
the barn, an had that sickness five wears
| ago"
John had a right to marry whom he
chose, au' hope he's made wise choice, u
said Mrs. Comfort. after lite pause. but
do you know, Joel, | can't help feeling
sorry that it isn't Garry Snow He an
Carry seemed TO set everything by each
other, an l thought surely they'd be mar
! ried, an | used to think that if had had a
| daughter I'd liked her like Carry. But,
| then, perhaps it's all for the best" A lamp
had been lighted, and as they fingered al
the table talking, knock sounded at the
| door, and man rather roughly dressed
with his hat drawn we'll over his eyes, en-.
tered and said: Il stopped in to see if YOU
didn't want to hire man this winter
| Mr.. Comfort shook his head obviously,
| No, guess not. | could find work for a
man, but times are pretty hard just now,
| and | can't afford it
| You look like pretty old man to worl,
much, said the stranger.
| u m only seventy one, and though I'm a
| little lame, an not so stout as was once.
| can manage 70 do quite q DAYS work vet. y
| We'll, then, if you can't give me work. |
may as well be going on, said the stranger,
rising. He did not urge the matter. Per-
haps as he looked around, aad noted, as he
evidently did, the frugally, so frugalIv
spread table, the one small lamp, the
threadbare clothes of the old farmer, the
tired face oil his wife, and the evidence on
every hand OF rigid economy and limited
means, he thought that there was little en-
couragement for an opening there. As he
was leaving Mrs. Comfort came forward
ITS beginning to Storm" she said. in her
kind, motherly tone; won't you stay all
night with US? and perhaps in the morn
ing you can find work among some of the
|
You are very kind to say that to a
| stranger like me" said the man with a
choking voice
i've had a son from home these twelve
years, and I'm doing no more than hone
some one would do for him if be needed
help or shelter; besides, you are doubly
welcome now, for our John is coming
home tomorrow
Thank you, thank you, but there's a
man down the road said | could stav with
him"
| "Absalom Lash, presume" said Joel. as
he held the lamp to light the stranger
out, he keeps most verybody that comes
Left to themselves after the evenings
work was done, and the incidents Of the
day and anticipations of the morrow again
gone over, Joel Comfort took the weII-ySorn
Bible and read the 37th Psalm, a fayorite
| one with them these last few years. since
| disappointments had gathered, and their
| days of prosperity seemed to be slipping
farther and farther away. Trust ia,tbe
Lord, aud do good; &C shalt thou dwell in
the land, and verify thou shalt be fed
Rest In the Lord, and wait patiently fer
him, were strong rests for their often
troubled hearts. Then Mrs. Comfort went
INTO the pantry once more for another
|. look at the rows of cal<ae and ,,ias - ~